Kiss the Girl
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: Part of the Time After Time series. A 'Forever and a Day' oneshot. They had one thing in common. They both couldn't stop thinking about each other. John/Tori.


**Kiss the Girl**

**Summary**: Part of the "Time After Time" series. They had one thing in common. They both couldn't forget about each other. John/Tori.

**Disclaimer**: Nothing from the WWE is ours. I own Tori, and **Graelam** owns Jazmyn.

**Author's Note**: It's awesome that **Graelam's **"Forever and a Day" is liked so much! As she mentioned, we are doing a series of oneshots that cover the six year time gap between the prologue and chapter one, and this is just the first of more to come. It takes place the day after the prologue, so before John and Tori get together and is named after the song from the "Little Mermaid," which I also don't own. So, other than that, enjoy!

Tori smiled at her sister as she set a mug of coffee on the table in front of her before sitting in the seat across from her. "Last night was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" Jazmyn asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, it was," Tori agreed with a slight smile. She had to admit, it had been a relief to get out of her small apartment and away from her piles of research and just have fun like a normal person for once. But she also knew that there was another reason she had enjoyed the night out.

Jazmyn was still grinning with excitement as she continued. "Man, it would be awesome to have a job like that, traveling all over and being with cool people... You enjoyed the show last night, didn't you, Tor?"

Tori took a sip of her coffee as she nodded. "Yeah, I enjoyed it," she told her. This was true, no matter how surprising it was to her. Professional wrestling was something she thought she would never get into. But, even though she had loved the excitement of the atmosphere and even the matches themselves, she had fallen in love with the people involved in the ring even more.

Or... one in particular. Ever since he had walked into Denny's with his friends, Tori hadn't been able to get John Hennigan, better known to his fans as John Morrison, out of her mind. Yes, he may have been famous. Yes, he may have been incredibly gorgeous. Yes, he may have been flirtatious. But he had captured her heart, and there was something about him, beneath that overly confident exterior, that she saw him him, something she couldn't quite place.

And it wouldn't leave her alone.

"But oh, man, Randy's something, isn't he?" Jazmyn muttered with a goofy smile. Tori instantly recognized the look in her eye. "I mean, he's talented, has amazing tattoos, gorgeous eyes..." Her statement ended in a dream-like sigh.

Tori laughed a little. "Crushing much?" she wondered.

Jazmyn stuck her tongue out at her older sister. "So? He's nice, okay?" she defended herself. "We got along really well last night."

"Yeah, I noticed."

There was a short moment of silence where the two girls didn't say anything. Jazmyn watched Tori carefully as she took another sip of her coffee, noticing that she was quieter than usual. Something must have been on her mind.

"So, what about John?" she finally ventured to wonder, remembering how when he hadn't been fighting in the ring, Tori had been with him.

"What about him?" Tori wondered. Though she appeared to not know what she was talking about, Jazmyn knew that she had a feeling what she was getting at.

Jazmyn shrugged. "I don't know," she said allusively, a hint of a grin on her face. "You guys just really seemed to hit it off last night."

"Well... he's a nice guy that's fun to be around," Tori explained in a mumble, but she couldn't stop the blush that crept up to her cheeks.

"You like him, don't you?"

Tori took a quick sip of her coffee to buy herself some time. "Well, as I said, I thought he was nice and fun to-!"

"No, Tor," Jazmyn interrupted with a sigh, leaning forward on the table. "I mean... you know..."

Yes, Tori knew exactly what her sister meant, she just wished she could have avoided it. In truth, she didn't want to accept the feelings that she had when she was around John. The last relationship she had was with a man named Philip Jack Brooks while they were both in college, and she felt that she wasn't quite ready for another serious one, especially since she was swamped with work. What scared her the most was that there was no denying what her heart was telling her.

But, she didn't have to tell Jazmyn that. "No," Tori finally said. "Not like that..."

However, Jazmyn wasn't going to give up. "You can't lie to me, Tori," she told her with determination. "Just from watching you two last night, it's obvious that you have a thing for him. You were _happy_, Tori, happier than I've seen you in a long time. You've been keeping to yourself in your apartment for so long working on some story, but when I saw you with John... you were almost a completely different person! I haven't seen your eyes glow that much when you look at someone in what seems like forever. He's something special, Tor, and you know it."

Tori remained silent during her sister's speech, not having a clue as to what to say. She knew that she could deny the feelings she obviously had for John all she wanted, but that wouldn't change the fact that they were there, no matter how much she wished they weren't.

When she still didn't say anything, Jazmyn sighed. "Look, Tor, I just want you to be happy," she muttered. "I think this would be a chance worth taking if-!"

"Please, Jaz, don't," Tori gently interrupted. "It's just... I don't know..." She knew her sister meant well, but just thinking about John, she knew a girl like her didn't stand a chance with him.

Jazmyn watched as Tori took a long sip of her coffee, signaling that she was done talking. She would have to change tactics. "Are you doing anything later?" she wondered. "And if you say you're going back to your apartment, I'm counting that as a no."

Tori sighed. That was exactly what she had been planning on doing. "No."

"Good." Jazmyn's face brightened up. "Then you should totally come with me. Randy and I are going to head to the park for a while this evening just to spend some time together before they leave tonight."

Fortunately, Tori had already set her mug down on the table. Otherwise, it probably would have shattered. "Leave? Tonight?" She knew they weren't going to be staying in town for long, but she also hadn't thought that they would be leaving that soon...

"Yeah, I thought you knew," Jazmyn said.

"No..." Tori was starting to feel a bit anxious. John was leaving... Her hands tightened around her mug slightly when she realized that she didn't want him to...

Jazmyn sighed. "I'm not going to go all into it since I know you're just going to stop me again, but the chance is there, and this is the only time to take it."

Tori sighed, staring into her nearly empty coffee mug. She hated the feeling of not knowing what to do. She didn't understand how one person could make her feel this way...

Then, her gaze traveled to the kitchen counter where she knew her sister kept the daily newspaper. She liked her life the way it was, no matter how much work she ended up having to do. Living in her apartment, being a journalist for the paper... pretty much a quiet life.

But on the other hand, she couldn't deny the feelings she had for John. Jazmyn was right, it could have been a chance that was worth taking. Tori knew how happy she had been when she was with him at the arena, and it was a happiness she hadn't felt for a long time. If she could somehow make things work for them...

Tori outwardly sighed. This was getting ridiculous. She knew that she hardly had a chance with John. He was well-known and definitely gorgeous. He probably had many women after him, and it would take someone other than her to catch his eye. It was a chance that she was tempted to take, but one that she probably wouldn't since he probably didn't feel the same way about her.

"So, what do ya' say?" Jazmyn asked, breaking into her thoughts. "Are you up for hanging out tonight?"

It took a moment for Tori to answer since she honestly wasn't sure, but she couldn't see a way out of it. "Sure, why not?" she answered, finishing off her coffee. "I mean, what harm could it do?"

* * *

John Hennigan sighed as he zipped up his travel bag once he was finished packing everything. He was exhausted like he usually was after a show, but there had been something different about the previous night that he hadn't expected.

It was a girl. A girl that he had been strangely drawn to when he, Mike, Randy, and Rey went to Denny's for a quick meal before the WWE show. A girl that was beautiful in her own subdued way, one that had spilled her drink on him when he had first tried to talk to her. But most importantly to him, she was a girl who hadn't known who he was or what he did for a career.

And for some reason unknown to him, he couldn't get her out of his mind.

Being a superstar in the WWE, John was used to women hitting on him because of his fame and good looks. He was even known to flirt with some of them. But, none of this really gave him what he was looking for. He loved being in the ring and traveling everywhere, but he wanted something, someone, to come home to after a long week, someone special to be able to confide in and be himself around.

John sighed as he walked over to the window and looked down at the busy street below. He remembered how happy he had been when he spent time with Tori backstage at the arena when he hadn't been in the ring, loving the way her smile made her eyes shine when they talked. It was a sense of happiness that he hadn't felt for a long time, ever since he had been in a relationship with WWE diva, Melina Perez.

But even that happiness didn't feel the same as what he had felt when he was with Tori. Even though he had only spent a relatively short time with her, there was something about her that drew him to her, something that he couldn't quite place. All he knew was that he wanted to see her again to try to figure it out.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard the door to the hotel room open, and John watched as Mike "the Miz" Mizanin entered, bags of chips and two water bottles in his hands. "Snacks for when we leave for the airport later," he explained, tossing the food onto one of the beds. "You know how those food places can be..."

"Yeah," John muttered in agreement, not really paying attention to what Mike had brought. "Good thinking..."

Mike studied John carefully as he sighed. "You okay, Man?" he asked.

John nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"You're awfully quiet," Mike muttered, walking around the bed to stand next to his best friend by the window. "Hmm... You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"I... I don't know who you're talking about..."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you do," he said. "The girl from the restaurant. Tori."

John didn't say anything for a minute. There was no denying that that's who he was thinking about, but it surprised him that Mike was able to tell. "Um... yeah..."

"Not a surprise after watching how close you two got last night," Mike commented. "You seemed happier than I've seen you in some time. She's a nice girl, too. Are you going to see her again before we leave tonight?"

"No." John hated the answer he had for that question, but it was the honest one. He would have loved to see her again, but he didn't know how he could.

Mike looked at him, shocked. "No?" What do you mean _no_?" he wondered. "I thought for sure you guys would have planned something."

John slowly shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to see her again, Mike, it's that I can't," he explained.

"What do you mean you can't?" Mike asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you're actually nervous..." For as long as he had known John Hennigan, he had never been nervous when it came to women. If this girl had somehow changed that...

Sighing, John turned and looked back out the window. To say he was nervous wouldn't have been a lie. He usually wasn't when it came to women and normally felt confident, but there was something about this girl that was different. He was usually the type to shoot first and ask questions later, but he found that he couldn't do that now...

"There's no way I can contact her, Mike," John finally answered, turning back to look at his best friend. "No number, address... Anything."

"Is that it?"

John was caught off guard by his response. "Is what it?" he wondered.

Mike shrugged, a sneaky grin appearing on his face. "Is that the only reason that you can't contact her?" he clarified.

"Well... yeah, but..."

But John's sentence trailed off when Mike turned and opened his already packed travel bag, pulling out his laptop. "Tori's a journalist for the newspaper, right?" he said as he started up the computer. "_Madison Times_ or whatever..."

"_Madison Capital Times_," John automatically corrected. "But why do you want to know?"

"Well..." Mike muttered, pausing for a minute as he typed something. "I figure, how many Tori's can there be working for the newspaper?"

John sat down on the bed next to Mike, looking at the laptop screen as the page for Madison's main newspaper came up. he watched as he went to the staff listing, scrolling through the names.

"Ha. See, I was right," Mike said, pointing at the name he had been looking for. "Only one Tori."

Leaning forward a little bit, John saw that the name his friend was pointing at was "Tori Walker." "Okay, so we found her name," he muttered. "It gives her email and extension number for the paper, but that doesn't help. She said she's off today..."

Mike looked at John, a mischievous glint to his eyes. "Wait and see." He closed the screen for the paper, searching for and bringing up a Madison directory.

John's eyes widened, immediately understanding what he was doing. "Mike..."

"You want to see this girl again, don't you, Man?" Mike asked. When John nodded slightly, about to say something, he continued, "I can't think of any other way to do that."

"Yeah, well, don't you think she'd be a _little_ freaked out if I called her when she never gave me her number?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "It's you," he told him, typing "Tori Walker" into the search box. "She'll get over it."

John sighed, looking away from the laptop when he heard a knock on the hotel room door. Yes, he wanted to see Tori again, but not to go about it this way. Not wanting to watch Mike search for the personal information of this girl, he got up to answer it, seeing that Randy Orton was on the other side.

* * *

_"And you don't know why_

_But you're dying to try_

_You wanna' kiss the girl..."_

Tori and Jazmyn sat on the swings at the park, waiting for Randy to show up. The younger had insisted insisted that they get there a little earlier than the planned meeting time, and the older really didn't question it. It wasn't like she had anything else to do that night anyway.

Then, Jazmyn's face lit up when a familiar black car pulled up. "There he is."

"Yep." Tori watched as Randy stepped out from behind the wheel, but she was confused when the passenger door opened as well. Jazmyn hadn't said anything about another person coming.

But then, her eyes widened when she saw who it was. It was John.

"Hey!" Jazmyn greeted cheerfully, jumping off the swing and walking over to the two men.

Tori watched as Randy said something to her sister that she couldn't quite hear, but assumed it was a greeting of some sort. John smiled at her as well, but it vanished when he turned and saw her, a look of surprise appearing on his face. He glanced at Randy and Jazmyn one more time before walking past them and sitting on the swing next to Tori.

"I thought we were just going to see Jazmyn tonight," John said with a hint of a smile on his face. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, my brat of a sister didn't tell me that you were going to be here either," Tori replied with a bit of a laugh before adding quickly, "Not that I mind, of course." That was definitely an understatement. In truth, she was thrilled to be able to see him again. If only the butterflies weren't killing her stomach...

John laughed a little too. "Definitely a pleasant surprise," he told her with a smile that made Tori blush slightly.

"Yeah..."

They watched as Randy and Jazmyn went over to the slides, laughing as Randy climbed up the one Jazmyn had been planning on going down, blocking her way. Tori smiled, shaking her head as she turned to look at John. "So, you guys are leaving tonight?" she wondered quietly.

John sighed. "Yeah, we have a bit of a trip to get to our next show," he explained. "If I had the choice, I wouldn't be leaving yet..."

Tori looked at John curiously when he went strangely quiet, seeming to be thinking about something. She wondered what was on his mind, but before she could actually ask, John seemed to come to some sort of a conclusion as he turned to meet her gaze. "Take a walk with me?"

_"Yes, you want her_

_Look at her, you know you do_

_It's possible she wants you, too_

_There's one way to ask her..."_

There were those butterflies again... Tori looked over at Jazmyn and Randy again, watching as he finally allowed her to go down the slide. She didn't think they would be missed. So, it was with a smile that she turned back to John and said, "Sure. A walk sounds nice."

John returned the smile. "All right, then." He got up off the swing and waited for Tori to do the same before they began walking toward a path that wound around the lake. Tori smiled to herself as they got closer. The sun was just beginning to set, casting beautiful reflections on the still water. This had always been one of her favorite places to go.

"That's a beautiful sight," John commented quietly as they walked together. "Reminds me of the ocean we have back in Los Angeles. Just smaller and a bit calmer..."

"I've never seen the ocean," Tori muttered. "I want to someday."

John turned to her and gave her a smile. "I hope you get the chance to," he said. "I think you would really like it."

"I bet I would." Tori couldn't help but smile up at him. There was just something about him that she was drawn to, something she loved. She just wished the butterflies in her stomach would leave her alone...

"So, where's your next show?" Tori asked, trying to distract herself from her nerves.

"New York City," John answered. "Madison Square Garden. It should be interesting."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tori agreed. "Well, you know Jaz and I will be watching you guys from here."

John laughed a little. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It just won't be the same as having you guys backstage."

"That was a lot of fun," Tori murmured, knowing that she was definitely going to miss that. Then, not really thinking, she added, "I don't want you to leave."

As soon as those six words were out of her mouth, Tori immediately covered it, not believing that had slipped out. It was a thought that had been on her mind, but definitely not one that she had meant to say...

_"'Cause it don't say a word_

_Not a single word_

_Go on and kiss the girl..."_

John stopped and turned to look at her, some confusion evident on his face. If it wasn't bad enough that she had said it, he had heard her too... "Tori, what..."

"Look, I'm sorry I said that," Tori said quickly to defend herself. "I shouldn't have, I know how selfish it sounds. But... I might as well say it now... Ever since Denny's last night... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I know it sounds weird, but there's just something about you... God, now I'm rambling... I guess what I mean to say is that I was happier than I've been in a long time when I was with you last night, and same with now... And I don't want you to leave because God knows if I'll see you again..."

During her ramblings, John had merely watched her, not saying a word. Tori looked back at him nervously, waiting for him to say _anything_. She just wished he would say _something_, even if it was to tell her she was crazy, because his silence was unnerving.

_"Don't stop now_

_Don't try to hide it now_

_You wanna' kiss the girl..."_

John stepped a little closer to Tori, who was watching him curiously. Then, still without saying a word, he slowly leaned forward and almost cautiously met her lips in a soft but quick kiss. Tori watched, eyes wide in disbelief, as he leaned back again. "As I said before," he muttered. "If I had the choice, I wouldn't be leaving yet."

This time, Tori was the one who didn't say anything. She was still in shock. Had he really just kissed her? She had felt it, but she still couldn't believe it. He felt the same way...

Then, because she had been too caught off guard the first time, Tori pulled John closer and kissed him again, this time a bit more passionately. Yes, she realized, this was what she had wanted ever since she had spilled her drink on him at Denny's. For once, being a klutz had worked in her favor.

John pulled Tori a bit closer, giving her a deep kiss. He had flirted with women before, but this girl was different. He felt as though he had formed a real connection with her, one that was obviously shared. He felt as though this girl could give him what he was looking for, which made him happier than anything. He remembered the slip of paper in his back pocket with her phone number on it that Mike had forced on him, but he knew he wouldn't need it that evening.

Tori smiled up at him broadly when they finally pulled apart, her eyes glowing. "Well, tonight sure hasn't gone the way I expected it to go..." she said with a laugh.

"Are you happy with the way it went?" John asked, a tad nervous. It seemed that she felt the same way about him as he felt about her, but he wondered if it had been a mistake to kiss her so soon.

In answer to his question, Tori grinned and intertwined her fingers with his. "Yes," she told him quietly. "Happier than I could possibly describe."

John returned the smile, quickly kissing her once more before continuing their walk, still holding her hand in his. "Now, I have no intention of giving you up," he said. "But it'll be a while before I'm able to come back to Madison."

Tori squeezed his hand reassuringly. Hearing him say that he wasn't going to give her up made her more confident that this could actually work. "I'll wait for you," she promised. For him, she would wait, and it didn't matter to her how long that wait might be. It was a chance that had definitely been worth taking.

She had him, and that was the most important thing to her.

**The End**

**Author's Note**: That's it for this one! Remember, it's a part of the "Time After Time" series, so go read "Forever and a Day," which inspired this! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated, just no flames please!


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